Who said “Manners must adorn knowledge, and smooth its way through the world.”?

Verified

Lord Chesterfield. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceLetters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman (1774), 1 July 1748

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“Manners must adorn knowledge, and smooth its way through the world.”
— Lord Chesterfield
VerifiedLetters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman (1774), 1 July 1748 · evidenceManners

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Letters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman (1774), 1 July 1748.

APA

Chesterfield, L. (n.d.). Manners must adorn knowledge, and smooth its way through the world. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/28075-manners-must-adorn-knowledge-and-smooth-its-way/

MLA

Chesterfield, Lord. “Manners must adorn knowledge, and smooth its way through the world.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/28075-manners-must-adorn-knowledge-and-smooth-its-way/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Chesterfield, Lord. “Manners must adorn knowledge, and smooth its way through the world.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/28075-manners-must-adorn-knowledge-and-smooth-its-way/.

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“Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well.”
VerifiedLetters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman (1774), 10 March 1746 · evidenceDetails & citeWorth
“Be wiser than other people, if you can; but do not tell them so.”
VerifiedLetters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman (1774), 19 November 1745 · evidenceDetails & citeDiscretion
“Speak of the moderns without contempt, and of the ancients without idolatry.”
VerifiedLetters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman (1774), 22 February 1748 · evidenceDetails & citeLiterature
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